Moammar Qadhafi's death to be probed by Libya

Bowing to U.S. and international pressure, Libya ordered a probe Monday into the circumstances surrounding Muammar Qadhafi’s death, promising to examine the final moments of the ousted leader’s life before he was killed by a gunshot wound to the head.

The investigation comes after the United States, Britain and the United Nations pushed to find out whether Qadhafi was executed, given the questions raised in light of video of the ousted leader after he was captured alive, The Associated Press reported. An autopsy on Qadhafi’s body over the weekend revealed he died from a gunshot wound to the head, according to doctors who performed the postmortem.

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On Monday, Libya’s interim leader, Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, said the National Transitional Council has set up a panel to examine Qadhafi’s death. Although NTC officials said last week that they believed Qadhafi had been killed in the crossfire between his supporters and revolutionary forces, Abdul-Jalil told reporters at a press conference that the committee will also investigate the possibility that a supporter of the toppled leader fired the fatal bullet to Qadhafi’s head.

“Let us question who has the interest in the fact that Qadhafi will not be tried. Libyans want to try him for what he did to them, with executions, imprisonment and corruption,” Abdul-Jalil said, according to the AP. “Free Libyans wanted to keep Qadhafi in prison and humiliate him as long as possible. Those who wanted him killed were those who were loyal to him or had played a role under him; his death was in their benefit.”

Meanwhile, the public display of Qadhafi’s body — which had turned a Misrata meat locker into a local tourist attraction — ended Monday, Reuters reported. Over the weekend, Qadhafi’s family released a statement requesting that his body be returned to them, according to Reuters. They also asked for the bodies of Qadhafi’s son Mo’tassim and the other “martyrs’ bodies” who were killed Thursday.

“We call on the U.N., the Organization of the Islamic Conference and Amnesty International to force the [National] Transitional Council to hand over the martyrs’ bodies to our tribe in Sirte and to allow them to perform their burial ceremony in accordance with Islamic customs and rules,” they wrote in the statement, Reuters reported.

Abdul-Jalil said the NTC has set up a panel to decide what to do with the bodies, the AP wrote. Misrata military council spokesperson Ibrahim Beit al-Mal told the AP that Qadhafi will likely be buried on Tuesday in a secret spot.

He said he is “90 percent sure the bodies will be buried tomorrow,” according to the AP, and added that it will be in an unmarked grave.

U.N. human-rights spokesperson Rupert Colville said Friday that the human-rights office would examine Qadhafi’s death in light of international law. And on Sunday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that she supported a probe of Qadhafi’s killing.

“I would strongly support both a U.N. investigation that has been called for and the investigation that the Transitional National Council said they will conduct. You know, I think it’s important that this new government, this — effort to have a democratic Libya — start with the rule of law, start with accountability,” Clinton said.

“I view the investigation on its own merits as important, but also as part of a process that will give Libya the best possible chance to navigate toward a stable, secure, democratic future,” she added.

And Human Rights Watch said Monday it had discovered the bodies of 53 Qadhafi supporters in a hotel in Sirte who appear to have been executed, the BBC reported.

“Some had their hands bound behind their backs when they were shot,” HRW Emergencies Director Peter Bouckaert said in a statement. “This requires the immediate attention of the Libyan authorities to investigate what happened and hold accountable those responsible.”

Readers' Comments (7)

The new Libyan PM has stated that their new government will be based on Sharia Law and any existing laws in conflict of Sharia Law will be nullified. It is a sad day for the women of the new and "free" Libya.

Where are the Liberals denouncing the brutality of this? Can you imagine if the Bush administration had let anything like this happen in Iraq? Saddam was captured and kept for a trial with the Iraqi people.

That's the way war criminals should be delt with if the USA, Brits and France supported the rebels under NATO. It's a blight on this whole no war thing we were involved in.

Qadhafi actually surrendered, white flags and all. But the Rothschild controlled British, French, NATO, and US mercenaries would have none of it. And none of the "rebels" were actually from Lybia to begin with. Another great legacy from the Obama regime.